Safety chain locking device



Sept. 17, 1968 F. J. NEEL 3,401,969

SAFETY CHAIN LOCKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 28, 1966 IATVENTOR.

FORESTJ. NEEL United States Patent 3,401,969 SAFETY CHAIN LOCKING DEVICE Forest J. Neel, Silver City, N. Mex. (422 Main St., P.0. Box 5040, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71601) Filed Oct. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 590,311 4 Claims. (Cl. 292264) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety chain locking device adapted to be secured to a door and its associated jamb having a plurality of adjustments controlling access thereto.

My invention is directed toward a safety chain locking device.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved safety chain locking device adapted to be secured to a door and its associated jamb.

Another object is to provide a new and improved safety locking device of the character indicated which has a first position at which the door is locked in closed position, a second position at which the door is fully unlocked and can be open or shut at will, and a third position at which the door is chained to the jamb but can be opened to a limited extent or closed.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved safety locking device of the character indicated that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively and can be quickly and easily installed on or removed from door and jamb.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of my invention in locked position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing my invention in chained position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing my invention in unlocked position; and

FIG. 4 shows a detail perspective view of one part used in my invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, a door is hinged to one side (not shown) of a jamb whereby the door is swing- :ably disposed adjacent the opposite side 12 of the jamb.

A first member 14 in the form of a rectangular bracket having in cross section the shape of a C with upper and lower horizontal flanges 12 is secured to the door spaced apart from the jamb by screws 16 extending through holes in the flanges whereby member 14 has oppositely disposed vertical openings 18 connected by a hollow horizontal recess 19.

A second member 20 has one vertical plate 22 screwed to a vertical edge of the side 12 of the jamb by screws 24 extending through holes in the plate. Plate 22 is connected via vertical shoulder 26 spaced apart from the jamb to a second vertical plate '28 parallel thereto and extending perpendicularly away from the side 12.. Plate 28 has a hole 30 therein engaged by one end of chain 32. Shoulder 26 defines a vertical hollow recess 29 having opposite horizontal openings.

The other end of chain 32 engages a hole 34 in a horizontal plate 36 of a third member 38. Member 38 has three spaced apart vertical fingers 40, 42 and 44 which are coplanar and extend vertically downward from plate 36. Fingers 40 and 44 are end fingers; finger 42 is an intermediate finger.

As shown in FIG. 1, in locking position, the door is closed and member 38 contacts both door 10 and side 12 with finger 44 slidably engaging recess 29 of member 20'.

As shown in FIG. 2, in chained position, member 38 contacts only the door 10 and member 14 with fingers 40, 42 and 44 extending through the vertical opening 18 remote from side 12 into the horizontal recess 19 whereby the door can be closed or can be swung open to a limited access position determined by the length of the chain.

As shown in FIG. 3, in unlocked position, member 38 contacts only the jamb and member 20 with finger 40 slidably engaging recess 29 whereby the door can be opened or closed at will.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Safety chain locking device for a door hinged to one side of a jamb and swingably disposed adjacent another side of the jamb and comprising:

(a) a first member securable to the door and having opposite vertical openings joined by a hollow horizontal recess;

(b) a second member securable to the other side of the jamb and having opposite horizontal openings joined by a vertical hollow recess;

(c) a chain secured at one end to said second member; and

(d) a third member secured to the other end of said chain, said third member having two oppositely disposed vertical end fingers and an intermediate vertical finger disposed between and spaced apart from the end fingers, all of said fingers being coplanar.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein when said door is closed, the door can be locked by placing the third member partially in contact with the door and partially in contact with the other side of the jamb with a selected end finger slidably engaging the vertical recess.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said door can be unlocked and freely openable by placing the third member in contact solely with the other side of the jamb with the other end finger slidably engaging the vertical recess.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said door can be locked and yet operable on a chain by placing said third member in contact solely with the door and first member with all fingers slidably engaging the horizontal recess.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,087,751 4/ 1963 Nisenbaum 292264 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,879 1/ 1916 Denmark.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

